Self-feeding pencil



Aug. 29, 1933. H. l. RICHARDS SELF FEEDING PENCIL Filed Aug. 27, 1931 2 SheetS-Sheet l 'Q zz.

SELF FEEDING PENCIL Filed Aug'. 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a@ Medi/ Patented Aug. 29, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT olf-'FICE This invention relates to mechanical pencils wherein the writing lead is positively expelled and retracted..v

`More particularly, the present invention `relates to mechanical pencils provided with a lead magazine in which the leads are automatically fed as needed. l

An object of the invention is to construct a mechanical pencil containing simple, unexpensive and rugged mechanismY and one which is operated by themere turning of the pencil cap.

In 'the drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional VView disclosing the preferred construction of the pencil.A x

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lead `feed plunger and associated mechanism. y

Fig. 3 is an enlargedsectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. v Y

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view-taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional View taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig.- 6 is a plan view of the lead magazine.

' Fig. 7 is a' detail view of a portion of the lead magazine. ,Y A

Fig. 8 is a further detail view of aV portion of the lead magazine. 1

More particularly in the drawings, numeral 1 denotes the conventional outer barrel of the mechanical pencil. `Positioned 4interiorly of the barrel 1 and adjacent the upper end thereof and affixed theretois a tubular lead magazine Zoonsisting of spaced apart concentric tubes joined at their lower ends andtted with the cover plate 3 at their upper ends. The cover plate 3 is provided `with a plurality of lead receiving apertures 4 which register with mechanism formed in the lead magazine 2 and vwhich will be described in detail hereafter.` h v i Rotatably mounted interiorly of the tubular .lead magazine is an internally threaded sleeve -5 which extends from the upper end of the VanopeningQ'having diametrically opposite ra- .dial guide-openings 10 and 11 (see Fig. 4).

A vertically movable feed plunger 12 is adapted to be moved up and down in sleeve 5 vby means of screw head 13 being in engagement with the screw threads Yof thesleeve. On op,-

posite sides of the upper portion of feedplunger 12 are Vformed radial projections 14 and p15. These radial projections engage the guide slots 10 and 11, respectively, 'formed lin plate 8 and prevent rotary movement of the feed plunger` in its travel up.or down in screw threaded sleeve 5. As will be obvious from Fig. 1, `turning of at the will of the operator and, as beforestated, 7.

the projections 14 and 15, being in engagement with guide openings `10 and 11 of plate 8during the movement ofthe feed plunger, prevent its rotation. Y I

.The fedplunger terminates in an elongated round feed rod 16 which, as will be, explained later, carries ithe lead expelling and, retracting means. YAttached to the inner periphery of the tubular lead magazine 2 isa leaf spring ll'having its lower end 18 bent at vright angles Yso that it snugly underliesA the closed lower end of the lead1magazine. Due to theresili'ency of the spring 17, it normally lies in the position indicated in Fig. 1 but upon continued downward movement of the feed plunger '12, the spring member 17 is contacted by the sloping lower end of projection 14 formed on the feed plungeriandis, consequently, pushed outwardly. The lateral deviation of the `portion '18 of the spring l'lcontinues until juist'before the vscrew head 13 contacts with plate 8, atvwhich time, the right angle portion 18 of the spring 17 is forced to its `furthest lateral `position and the opening 19 formed Vin the transverse portion 18 registers with an opening 20 in the lead the lead magazine to drop by gravity through the opening or valve 19 into a vertical tube 21 fastened to the pencil barrel 1.

The vertical length of the spring 17 is divided into four equal parts by means of pins 33 which register 'with openings 34 in vthey wallof the lead magazine Vso that when vthe valve` 18.'is

in its lateral deviated position thev pins `33 hold I the additional leads lduring the time the bottommost lead is being fed downwardly. Of course,

Ywhen the 'tension is relieved from the valve vand the projection 14 is out of contactther'ewith,

Vthe pins 33 also releasethe additional leads Vand `magazine Yand permits a section of leadffrom permit the series to feed aXially to position another lead adjacent the valve.

The lower portion of the tube 2l bends inwardly at its lower end 22 so that the elongated opening 23 coincides with tubular member 24 mounted axially within cylinder 25 which forms Vthe reduced point of the pencil. Ried writing tip 32 is screw threaded onto tubular member 24 and abuts cylinder 25.

Mounted concentrically upon portion 16 of the feed plunger is a sleeve 26 having a flared split end portion 27. The upper end of the sleeve terminates in a ange 2S to which is afixed a coil spring 29 and a washer 30. The washer 30 is cut away at 3l to permit its passage past spring 17 and ispermanently attached Vby any suitable means to the feed rod 16. As indicated in Fig. 1, when in position the ysleeve 26 extends somewhat beyond the feed rod 16. Split Aflared portion 27 is of a diameter sufficient to snugly hold a writing lead and upon movementof the feed plunger 12 either expells or retracts the lead through the opening formed in writing tip In operation, the cap 6 is rotated with relation to the pencil barrel 1 until the feed plunger 12 is forced toits lowermost position at which time the projection 14 has laterally displaced the spring valve 18. The openings 19 and 20 being registered, a piece of writing lead drops into tubeor temporary leadmagazine 21 and continues down until it lodges in the throat of opening 23 thereof. The lead cannot continue because its progress is blocked by the sleeve 26 which being in its downwardposition coversv opening 23 of the tube. However, by rotating the cup 6 to withdraw the feed plunger, the` `draw the same upwardl,7 until it is completely enclosed in the pencil.' Y

When the flange 28 strikes the top of cylinder 25, the coil spring-20 will be compressed, allowing the feed rod 16 to continue downwardly to feed the-remainder of the lead, which has been held by the sleeve, out through the rifled tip. After expelling the last of the lead and the cap 6 is rotated, the coil spring will be relieved of its'compression and the sleeve 26 will again extend beyond the end of the rod 16 and will'bein position to receive a further writing lead. f

The novel means for storing and feeding successive leads to the pencil isr one of the most important features of this invention. When the eraser 7 is removed, it exposes to View the apertured plate 3 positioned in the upper end of the magazine-and it is through these apertures that Afresh leads are dropped. By referring to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, it will be seen that a spiral plate 40 is fastened between the concentric walls of the leadmagazine andthat this spiral plate comprises slanting steps for the individualleads and that the slanting steps are spaced one from. the other by vertical sections 41. In a Vertical line to each of the slanting steps 40 is provided a plurality'of spring fingers 42 which are made by merely punching inwardly the opposite sides of the metal of the lead magazine 2. These spring fingers are preferably curved as at 43 to lightly bear against the leads to retain them in vertical position on their respective steps 4l and to prevent the last lead inthe magazine from falling backwards. f

By this construction, the series of leadsV retained in the spiral stepped annular lead magazine are always held in upright position and the spring ngers 43 are, in practice, i very slightly pushed into the annular space. These spring fingers permit leads to move forward to be fed but prevent retrograde or backward movement inasmuch as each lead is caught by the front edges of the spring fingers and thus is prevented from falling backwards.

Fig. 6 shows the lead magazine in a diagrammatic manner and drawn in a fiat plane. This view is somewhat exaggerated, for in actual practice the ascending leads are soclose to Vone another that the lowermost lead, which is in engagement with the right angle lportion 18 of the spring valve 17, abuts throughout itslength the enclosed ascending lead Vand so on. throughout the entire magazine. This tends to hold each lead in vertical position-and this is further assisted by-the spring fingers 42. Thus it will be seen that as the lowermost lead is fed throughthe valve, the succeeding leads all slip forward one step and are retained in that position until the enclosed lead is fed through the valve.

I claim:

1. A mechanical pencil including a pencil barrel, a spiral lead magazine therein, a plunger, means for reciprocating the plunger in the said barrel and valve means operable by said plunger for gravitationally releasing lead from said magazine.

2. In a mechanical pencil, the combination of a pencil barrel, a lead magazine containedtherein, a sliding Valve associated with said magazine, a plunger adapted to reciprocate in the barrel, the said plunger carrying means for operating said valve.

3. A mechanical pencil including apencil barrel, a spaced Walled cylindrical lead magazine therein, a plunger, screw means for reciprocating said plunger in said barrel, a valve controlling the flow of lead from said magazine and a cam on said plunger for operating Vsaid valve.

4. A mechanical pencil including a pencil barrel, a tubular lead magazine therein, aV plunger adapted to be reciprocated in said barrel', the lead magazine having an opening therein for the exit of leads normally closed by a valve and means on said plunger for opening said valve.

5. A mechanical pencil including a pencil barrel, a lead magazine therein, a plunger, means for reciprocating said plunger in said barrel, intermittently'operated means controlled by there-l ciprocation of said plunger for retaining and releasing leads from the lead magazine and positioning said leads by gravity in line with said plunger subsequent tol being released from the lead magazine.

6. In a self-llingmechanical pencil, a pencil barrel, a spiralV lead storage magazine, a valve controlling the passage of leads from said magaoperable simultaneously with the opening thereof to positively block the passage of more than one lead through said valve.

'7. In a magazine for self-lling mechanical pencils, two concentric tubes joined at one end and adapted to hold a series of leads therebetween and a spirally ascending stepped strip positioned between said tubes on which said series of leads are supported.

8. A self-feeding mechanical pencil including storage magazine, the said magazine comprising spaced'apart cylinders to confine reserve leads therebetween, a spiral stepped strip on which said reserve leads are supported in a vertical position and spring ngers pressed inwardly from the cylinders engaging the reserve leads adjacent their upper ends.

10. In a mechanical pencil includingV a barrel,

lead feeding mechanism and a reserve lead storage magazine, the said magazine comprising spaced apart cylinders to coniine reserve leads therebetween, a spiral sloping strip on which i said reserve leads are supported in a vertical position and a spiral series of rfingers pressed inwardly from the cylinders preventing retrograde movement of said reserve leads while permitting forward movement thereof.

HENRY I.v RICHARDS. 

